Wall register and grille support



March 27, 1934- J. A. GERMONPREZ 1,952,707

WALL REGISTER AND GRILLE SUPPORT Filed May 21, 1952 i I 1 mi, Y 0 e; 5 11111:);

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jab]: fi. Earmanpraz Patented Mar. 2?, 1 934 PATNT QF'FICE WALL REGISTER AND GRILLE SUPPORT John A. Germonprez, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Uni-Flo Grille Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Continuation of application Serial No. 545,904, June 22, .1931. This application May 27, 1932,

Serial No. 614,011

12 Claims. (01. 98-1 14) The present invention pertains to a novel wall register and grille support of a type particularly adapted for installation in the outlet end of a pipe leading from a hot air furnace, for the purpose of regulating the flow of heated air into the room therethrough'and is a continuation of my application Serial No. 545,904, filed June 22, 1931.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a register including a damper automatically moved toward open position by a spring, together with means for adjusting said damper toward, and for holding the same in adjusted position, or at any point desired between the fully open and the fully closed positions. Conventional registers usually employ for this purpose damper operating levers, and in some cases, jointed levers, but in each instance these levers necessarily project outwardly from the front of the register during certain states of the movement of the damper and thereby offer an obstruction which is liable to damage furniture while it is being moved about the room adjacent the register as well as forming a projection, liable to catch and tear clothes of persons passing the register, and also liable to be hit, causing distortion or damage to the parts of the register itself as a result of the striking of the lever by vacuum cleaners,

brooms or other moving parts during the process of cleaning the room. The present device, however, because of the flexibility of the damper operating means, has no rigid parts projecting outwardly'in front of the register that are subject to the above objections.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wall register including resiliently adjustable means for securing the usual grille therein in a manner whereby said means is adapted to accommodate grilles of varying dimensions either as to thickness, height or width, and whereby the grille is resiliently held, to prevent rattling.

A further object is to provide a damper and grille mounting, the construction and arrangement of which is such as to facilitate its application to the end of a hot air flue projecting into an opening in the room wall and over which opening the register, because of its construction, may be applied with facility.

With the above and other ends in view, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a front elevation of a register illustra 55 'tive of an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view illustrative of a modified form of flexible damper actuating and holding means.

Like characters of reference are employed throughout to designate corresponding parts.

The present register comprises an outer marginal frame 1 that butts against the wall or studding 2 to surround an opening 3 formed in this wall and into which opening, the end portion of a pipe or air flue 4 extends, said flue being connected at its opposite end to a warm air furnace in the usual manner. 7

Secured by bolts or screws 5 to the marginal frame 1 is an inwardly projecting casing 6 that conforms in cross sectional shape to the shape of the pipe 4 so that it may be readily slipped into the end thereof, the casing being provided with a plurality of spaced perforations 7. Secured upon the outside of the casing 6 adjacent its outer end, is a member or sleeve 8 that is bent to provide a space betwen it and said casing, outwardly from its inner end, to receive the outer end of the pipe 4, and is thereby supported by said pipe or flue member. The sleeve member 8 is provided with a depression 9 opposite each perforation 7 in the casing 6, and to secure the casing and sleeve member securely to the end of the pipe or flue 4 in installing the register, a sharp instrument is inserted through the perforations 7 after the parts are in place, and then struck by a hammer or similar object, to strike outwardly or form projections 10 on the pipe 4 within the depression 9 and thus securely attach said sleeve member 8 to said flue end 4, and thereby hold the margin of said frame 1 in firm contact with the room wall without the necessity for further securing means, thus greatly facilitating the installation of the register.

A damper supporting frame 11 is adapted to be inserted within the casing 6 and is provided with an inturned flange 12 to which flat spring members 13 are. secured at intervals. An opening 14 is formed in the frame 11 adjacent each spring 13, and through which openings, the outwardly extended ends of said springs project to engage ratchet teeth 15 that are mounted or formed at proper intervals upon the inner surface of the wall of the casing 6. A grille or screen member 16, also adapted to be inserted within the casing 6, is interposed between the frame member 11 and the inwardly extending flange 1'7 of the marginal frame 1, said flange being formed with an inner marginal strengthening edge, by

bending the same outwardly upon itself to form a finish for said edge.

Pivotally mounted at its upper edge, within the frame 11, as at 18a, is a damper 18 and secured in said frame adjacent the pivot of said damper and attached thereto at its free end, is

a spring 19 arranged to exert a yielding force upon the damper to swing the same toward open position and yieldingly hold it in that position. A flexible pull member or chain 21 is provided with a plurality of balls 20 or other enlarged members, and is yieldingly connected at one end to said damper by inserting the end of the chain through an opening in the damper and placing a washer 22 behind the ball at the end of the chain and then inserting a coiled spring 23 between said washer and the side of the damper.

The chain is then passed outwardly through a sleeve 24 which is mounted in the grille 16, the sleeve being provided with a slot 25 to receive the flexible member 21 between certain of balls 20 so that the chain, hanging downward adjacent the face of the grille, will hold said chain engaged in said slot in a manner to normally prevent longitudinal movement of the chain, and hold the damper in adjusted position. By an outward pull on the chain against the action of the spring, the damper may be swung toward closed position and held in that position by the engagement of blu: chain in said slot.

In assembling the register, the casing and sleeve member 8 are first secured to the end of the pipe in the manner described. The frame 11 is then slipped into the end of the casing 6 and the grille 16 placed against the end of the frame 11, after which the marginal frame is secured in place thereover. In this position, the springs 13 engaging the ratchet teeth 15, resist inward movement of the frame 11 and yieldingly hold said frame against the inner side of the grille which is thus yieldingly clamped between the marginal portion 17 of frame 1 and said frame 11 to effectually prevent rattling, said frame being adjustably held by the engagement of said springs with said ratchet teeth, to provide for grilles of different thicknesses. This construction thus provided. for interchangeability of grilles, inasmuch as, it adapts itsef to grilles of varying thicknesses and accommodates a comparatively large variance in widths and lengths, necessity for a close fit of the grille in its casing, being thus obviated.

The damper 18 is moved toward the open position by the spring 19 and may be adjusted and held in any desired position, by the pull chain 21 by pulling outwardly thereon and then inserting it in the slot 25 between adjacent balls 20 or other enlargements thereon, which permit longitudinal movement thereof, and thereby prevent the pressure of-the spring from swinging the damper. It is apparent, however, that there would be a certain amount of movement of the chain within said slot which would, ordinarily, prevent the damper from being tightly closed by such engagement of said chain in said slot, and this difficulty is overcome by providing the resilient connection of the chain to the damper, for, when it is desired to tightly close the damper, the chain is drawn outwardly until it has fully closed the damper and compressed the spring 23, so that when said chain is engaged in said slot 25, the inward movement of the chain permitted by the movement of the chain in said slot; is taken up by the spring 23 and the damper is held tightly and yieldingly closed, the spring also preventing vibrations of the damper and consequent rattling.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a modified form of flexible member for operating'the damper, which member is in the form of a cord 30 that passes through a sleeve 24 similar to the sleeve 24, mounted in the grille 16'. The upper wall of said sleeve is slotted and formed with a pair of ears 31 between which is pivotally mounted a lever 32. The lower end 33 of this lever is formed as a cam to engage the cord 30 and clamp the same against the bottom wall of said sleeve, thus preventing inward movement of said cord through said sleeve, and a spring 34 exerts a force to normally hold said lever turned on its pivot into contact with the cord.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be mounted at the outlet end of a hot air pipe, a damper mounted for pivotal movement in said casing, means for turning and yieldingly holding said damper in open position, a flexible pull member for closing said damper against the action of said yielding means, a yieldable element connecting the pull member with the damper and means for holding said pull member in the position to which it is adjusted.

2. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be inserted in the outlet end of a hot air pipe, means for securing said casing to said pipe, a frame mounted in said casing, a damper mounted in said frame, a spring mounted in said frame and connected to said damper to normally move said damper toward open position, and a flexible pull member having a yieldable connection with the damper for moving said damper towards a closed position.

3. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be mounted upon the outlet end of a hot air pipe, a damper supporting frame in said casing, a grille in said casing, means in said casing for adjustably securing said frame in said casing and yieldingly holding the same in contact with said grille, a damper mounted in said frame, and means for operating said damper.

4. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be secured to the outlet end of a hot air pipe within an opening in a room wall, a frame resiliently supported within said casing, a damper mounted in said frame, a marginal frame surrounding said casing to engage the room wall, a grille between said resiliently mounted frame and said marginal frame, and means for operating said damper. v

5. A wall register comprising a casing, a member on said casing and spaced therefrom to receive therebetween the outlet end of a hot air pipe, a frame supported within said casing, a damper pivotally mounted in said frame, a marginal frame surrounding said casing to engage a room wall into an opening in which said pipe projects, a grille with its marginal portion between said frame and said marginal frame, and resilient means for holding said frame pressed toward said grille to clamp said grille between said frame and said marginal frame.

6. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be inserted in the outlet end of a hot air pipe projecting into an opening in a room wall, a sleeve member mounted on said casing with a esa-7o? space between said member and casing to receive the end of said pipe, means for securing said sleeve member and casing to said pipe, a frame mounted in said casing, a damper mounted in said frame, a marginal frame detachably secured tosaid casing to engage the room wall around the opening therein and provided with an in-- wardly extending flange, a grille interposed between said first mentioned frame and said flange, and means for adjustably holding said frame in said casing and exerting force to move said frame toward said grille and yieldingly clamp said grille between said frame and said flange of said marginal frame, and means extending outward through said grille for operating said damper.

7. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be secured to the end of a hot air pipe projecting into an opening in a room wall, a damper pivotally mounted to swing within said casing, means for yieldingly turning said damper toward open position, a grille mounted at the end of said casing and pipe, a flexible pull member for operating said damper and extending outward through said grille and provided with spaced apart enlargements, means for yieldingly attaching one end of said pull member to said damper, and means on said grille to engage between said enlargements on said pull member and adjustably hold such pull member and damper in adjusted position.

8. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be secured to the end of a hot air pipe projecting into an opening in a room wall, a damper pivotally mounted to swing within said casing, means for yieldingly turning said damper toward open position, a grille mounted at the end of said casing and pipe, a flexible pull member for operating said damper and extended outward through said grille, means for yieldingly connecting said pull member at one end to said damper, and means ,carried by said grille for holding said pull member in the position to which it is adjusted. in swinging said damper toward closed position adjacent said grille.

9. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be secured to the end of a hot air pipe projecting into an opening in a room wall, a damper supporting frame in said casing, a plurality of spring members carried by said damper frame, teeth on the interior of said casing to be engaged by the free ends of said springs to adjustably and yieldingly support said damper frame in said casing, a marginal frame carried by the inner end of said casing to engage the room wall around the opening therein, and a grille'with .its marginal portion interposed between said damper frame and said marginal frame and yieldingly clamped therebetween by the action of said springs.

10. A wall register comprising a casing adapted to be received within the end of a hot air pipe projecting into an opening in a room wall and formed with a plurality of openings, a sleeve member secured to said casing and formed to provide a space between it and said casing to receive the end of the hot air pipe, said sleeve member being also formed with hollow protuberances, one opposite each opening in said casing, whereby the metal of said inserted end of said pipe may be punched outwardly into said protuberances by means of a punch inserted through said openings in said casing, to secure said casing and sleeve member to said end of said pipe.

11. In a wall register, a grille, a damper pivotally supported at the rear of the grille, spring means tending to turn the damper on its pivot to an open position, means for adjustably fixing the damper in a predetermined position relative to the grille comprising an apertured member supported in the grille, a flexible pull member yieldably attached at one end to the damper and extendingthrough the apertured member, said. apertured member having a slot in its wall, the said pull member consisting of a series of balls spaced by a part of less diameter, the slot being of a width to take said intervening part and to prevent the balls from passing therethrough whereby any predetermined one of the balls may be positioned to act as a holding member for the damper against the tension of the spring.

12. A wall register through which currents of heated air may pass comprising a frame mounted in an opening in the wall provided therefor, a damper pivotally mounted in the said frame, spring means tending to turn the damper to open position, and means for adjusting the damper toward or from open position comprising a slotted member fixedly supported relative to the frame and a flexible pull member spring connected to.

the damper and consisting of a series of larger elements flexibly connected and spaced by a series of small elements, the slot of said slotted member being adapted to receive the small elements and to prevent the larger elements from passing therethrough under strain of the spring, the length of the pull member being such as to permit adjustment of the damper from a fully open to a fully closed position.

' JOHN A. GERMONPREZ. 

